


A Demon's Heartbreak

by Crazy_Pairing_Person



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Heartbreak, Love Confessions, M/M, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-09 08:09:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6897781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazy_Pairing_Person/pseuds/Crazy_Pairing_Person
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Claude wished oh-so-desperately to be able to forget that human again. James, Stephen, whatever one called him, Claude still hadn't forgotten how he ran in fear. He still remembers how all the caring looks and loving words had been tossed aside in mere seconds. But now that Alois knows about that human, knows that demons can in fact love, he's been rather... Distant. Claude doesn't know what to do and all he can do is remember what happened the last time he let himself love. There's no reason for him to hope that Alois would be any different, so he has to keep his guard up.</p>
<p>Sequel to A Demon's Gamble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo! I shall promise and I shall deliver! (...Usually. Like, 80% of the time. Shaddup)
> 
> Anyway enjoy! Also this should be fairly obvious but most of this would make a lot more sense if you've read A Demon's Gamble first. This begins shortly before Chapter 4 of that story.
> 
> Also thanks to my friend, Random, aka ShippingSoldier for helping me out with this fic! Had a little trouble getting it started hehe.

"Claude, we should invite Ciel and Sebastian over! Go and call them on the phone!" Alois said with a grin. He seemed excited about the prospect of having a guest to converse with. Claude bowed politely as was expected. He wished he wouldn't have to invite Sebastian, considering he didn't get along well with his 'brother'. Still, Alois would only get upset if he didn't do exactly as he was asked.

"Yes, your highness," he said in a flat, monotone voice. He stood straight and turned to go and call the Phantomhive household on the phone.

" _Hello?_ " Sebastian's voice answered after a couple of rings.

"Hello. This is Claude Faustus, of the Trancy household. The young master, Alois Trancy, would like to invite Ciel Phantomhive and his butler over," Claude said politely. There was the sound of crinkling paper in the background as he waited for Sebastian to reply.

" _What time are we expected?_ "

"Perhaps one o clock this afternoon will suffice," Claude said, since Alois hadn't given him a time. There was more silence as, he guessed, Sebastian looked over Ciel's schedule for the day.

" _One o clock is fine. The young master will be happy to come_ ," Sebastian said, and Claude had to stop himself from laughing. He knew that Ciel was annoyed by Alois and would most likely  _not_ be happy to attend.

"Very well. We will see you this afternoon. Goodbye."

* * *

Claude prepared Alois's tea, knowing full well that he should really be making snacks for when Ciel and Sebastian arrived. But Alois wouldn't be very happy if he got his tea late, he knew. He took a glance at his pocket watch, noting that there were only fifteen minutes until the two would arrive.

As he brought the tea to Alois, who sat in his study while he waited for the guests, a sudden shiver ran over Claude's body. He froze upon the realization of what exactly he was sensing. His brother, his stupid, idiotic brother had started 'The Gamble' with the human he was contracted with. Claude knew what The Gamble was typically used for. Demons would play the game in an attempt to get a quicker meal. Hell, that was what Claude had tried to do a little over a century ago, when he played it with his contracted human! But all that happened was that he fell in love with that human, and found that maybe he had always loved him, and then...

He closed his eyes. He had sworn to himself that he would forget that, forget the heartache that he had caused himself by allowing a foolish human into his heart. It served as a cautionary tale but no more than that.

He continued on to Alois's study, wanting to get there before the tea got cold. He knocked on the door and was allowed in, and he felt the young master's eyes on him as he brought the drink over to him. He poured the drink into a cup and passed over to Alois.

"Claude?" Alois spoke as he sipped the tea.

"Yes, your highness?"

"You look strange. I can't quite figure out what it is," Alois said, and Claude did everything in his power to stop from freezing in shock. Memories, painful, bittersweet memories flashed in his mind's eye, but he wouldn't let himself cry. Not in front of his master, not right there.

"I sensed that Sebastian has started a game with his master," he said honestly. It just wasn't what had him so tense, but there was no need to say that. Alois stared at him oddly.

"What game? What do you mean you 'sensed' it?"

"He has initiated a game called The Gamble, your highness. When a demon plays that game with a human, that human will put out a sort of vibration to other demons. It's so that no other demons will try to take their soul during the course of the game. But it's different from the vibration sent when the human is in a contract with a demon," Claude explained. All of that was completely true, to the best of his knowledge. He would know, of course, since he had played it before.

He quickly reminded himself not to think of that, though.

"I see," Alois said thoughtfully. He held up his empty cup for Claude to refill. Once the older man had done so, Alois took a drink before he spoke again.

"Say, Claude, can demons fall in love?"

It took all of Claude's self-control to not run screaming out the door at that question. He thought carefully about how to answer in a way that wouldn't necessarily be a lie.

"Demons are selfish creatures, your highness. We only look out for ourselves."

Not a lie at all.

"But love can be selfish sometimes," Alois argued.

"As I see it, love would be wanting someone to happy, even if what makes them happy would tear you apart from the inside. That sounds rather self _less_ , not self _ish_ " Claude replied.

He tried not to recall the human... James... He turned away from his master, not wanting him to see his eyes tearing up.

"I must go prepare some snacks for our guests."

As he was about to leave the room, he stopped. His demonic hearing helped him focus on the sound of the Phantomhive carriage arriving, and he sighed.

"I suppose it's too late now. They've already arrived."

"Oh Claude, can't you just make them after we've greeted them?" Alois said, prancing over to the door with a grin. Claude left the room with his master, ready to try and tell Sebastian to call off the game, with the memories of his past heartbreak fresh in his mind.

 


	2. Chapter 2

"Ciel! It's so nice to have you!" Alois said with a bright smile. Ciel nodded with a bored expression, something clearly on his mind.

"Your highness, I shall go prepare some snacks for you and lord Phantomhive," Claude said.

"I will accompany you, Claude," Sebastian said, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the other demon. Claude didn't think much of it, considering Sebastian didn't like him all that much to begin with.

As the two young earls headed to the game room, Sebastian and Claude went to the kitchen. Claude quickly explained that Alois had wanted his tea as fast as possible and so the snacks hadn't even been started on. Sebastian didn't seem to upset at the thought of extra work, not that Claude was surprised. Sebastian had once mentioned that he enjoyed being a butler on some level. The whole thing seemed masochistic to Claude but he wouldn't be bothering Sebastian about it.

They got several sweets made, a few plates of cookies and a chocolate cake in just several minutes. As Sebastian prepared to place the cake onto the tray, Claude spoke.

"You're making a mistake, you know."

"Pardon?" Sebastian paused, looking at Claude with a confused expression as he slowly lowered the cake onto its place. He clearly had no idea what his fellow demon was talking about.

"You know that I can sense that you're playing The Gamble with Ciel. You need to call it off," Claude said, his voice shaking. He did his best not to let his walls down. He wouldn't let them crumble, not again, not even for a second.

"All I'm doing is getting a quicker meal," Sebastian replied, his voice quiet so that their masters wouldn't overhear.

"That's what I said. That's what hundreds of  _other_ demons have said."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes, confusion and suspicion on his face.

"No demon has ever fallen for-"

"That's what they all say!" Claude quickly cut him off. He felt himself starting to let go. He felt himself starting to tear down the walls, starting to remember how love felt. And it  _hurt_.

"The ones who fell in love during The Gamble never  _say_ that they played it. And if they do, they say that they won. No demon ever wants to admit that they fell in love," Claude said, his voice lowering to a softer tone. He wouldn't meet Sebastian's eyes, he couldn't let Sebastian see the fear swimming in his head.

"You admitted it," Sebastian pointed out.

"But I didn't tell you the entire story," Claude said bitterly.

"So tell me now."

Claude sighed deeply. He looked at his reflection in one of the plates. He looked tired, like the heartbreak had slowly worn him down over the years. He decided to just let it all out.

"I fell in love with him during the course of The Gamble. And he had fallen for me. But what they don't tell you in those rules is that, if you fall in love and they fall for you, then..."

He cut himself off. He took another deep breath, steeling himself as he remembered the screams of terror, as if the love they had shared meant nothing.

"It was six hours before the end of the game. I would be allowed to turn him in just six hours. But then... I took on my true form. I couldn't help it, I couldn't stop it. It was completely beyond my control. And when he saw my true form, he instantly fell out of love. So I had to let him go. The contract was void, he wasn't stuck with me anymore. He didn't even hesitate to run away and leave me behind."

Sebastian was silent. There was a stunned expression on his face. He didn't speak for a bit, and Claude took the moment to gather his own thoughts. He wiped away the tears that he knew were in his eyes, and then spoke.

"Call off the game, Sebastian."

"There's nothing to worry about, though. I... I won't fall for him," Sebastian said, but he sounded weak. Claude shook his head. That was what he had thought, he realized. He started to push the cart down the hall as he spoke.

"I've seen love, before. I've felt it. You have already fallen and you don't even realize."

Oh what he would have given for the mercy of such ignorance. Hell, he'd be fine with getting amnesia if that meant he wouldn't have to remember how much love could hurt.

It took Sebastian a moment to catch up to him. Claude knew he had been trying to convince himself that he wouldn't fall in love with Ciel.

"You know what the worst part is?" Claude said, just before they entered the game room. Sebastian gave him a questioning look. Claude pressed his lips together and looked at the floor.

"The worst part is that when you fall, you won't even care if he does leave you. You won't care because as long as he's happy you'll be fine living with heartache. But then eventually even the happy memories will become painful for you, and you'll just end up building a wall of ice around your heart."

Claude continued to push the cart, and the rest of the way to the game room was silent. He and Sebastian wouldn't even look at each other for the rest of the visit.


End file.
